Spring is here, and although we have been looking forward to it, there are a few things to remember to keep our pets hydrated.

First things first. Your furry friends’ body is made up of 70% water and water is the most important nutrient necessary for each chemical process in the body, so we need to make sure they take enough in every day.

How much is enough you might ask? Every pet differs but on average a dog should have between 30ml to 50ml per kg and a cat should have around 60ml per kg per day. For example, if your cat weighs 4kg it should get around 240ml of water per day.

Some of our furry friends forget to drink water or might not be inclined to take a sip often enough, so here are a few tricks to get them hydrated.

Our canine friends

Frozen treats – Ice cubes are a fantastic way to get your dog to have water and entertain them for a few minutes. Be creative and add some of your dog’s favourite fruits or veggies before freezing the water in ice trays. For the peanut butter fans, you can line the ice tray with unsalted peanut butter before adding the water. This way the dog starts seeing it as a treat and will look forward to chomping on the ice cubes.

Make it a habit to carry water whenever you are out and don’t forget to pack a collapsible bowl. A good way to remember to hydrate your dog when you are out and about, is whenever you feel thirsty and need to have something to drink, so do they!

If you have more than one pup you might want to consider putting out multiple water bowls and spread them out to ensure that everyone has access to water. Some dogs are fussy and would prefer a certain material to another so if you really want you can even switch it up by having different sizes of bowls made of different materials i.e., plastic.

If your dog is inclined to only eat dry food, try adding a bit of water to the food. It might enhance the flavour and encourage them to finish their food which means they are getting all the nutrients they need in one go!

Our feline friends

There are such cool things for cats! Have you seen the cat drinking fountains? That could be perfect for some of our felines that don’t like drinking from a bowl and prefer drinking from moving water. Your cat might be one of them.

Give water at room temperature instead of ice-cold water, some felines are sensitive to temperatures and might not like ice-cold water.

Cats are very particular. Change up the places where you put the water. You might want to try putting it where there isn’t too much foot traffic. Don’t put it close to the litter box, that just seems wrong in many ways 😊.

Add a small amount of tuna water or chicken broth. If you are going to flavour the water, remember to clean these bowls daily.

Last tip from the Petinsurance.com.au team is to be vigilant and keep an eye out for signs of dehydration. The signs could include vomiting, loss of appetite, dry gums, reduced energy levels, dry nose, and sunken eyes.

You’re not alone!

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References:

How much water should cats and dogs drink?

Is my cat just thirsty?

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